ALUMNI GATHERINGS

On the weekend of March 7 and 8, Binghamton University alumni were in Albany to see the Bearcats men's basketball team compete in the America East Conference tournament. About 350 alumni gathered at Maggie's, a tavern just blocks away from the tournament site, for a reception prior to the Saturday game. Alumni and friends then headed over to SEFCU Arena, where the Bearcats defeated Hartford. Many supporters stayed overnight in Albany and turned out the next day to see Binghamton's thrilling win over New Hampshire in the semifinal. See pictures from the Saturday activities at the Alumni Association's photo sharing site.

Venture capitalist Peter Kash '83 visited the Binghamton campus on March 9 to speak to faculty members and students. Much of his talks focused on Freedom from Disease (St. Martin's Press, 2008), a book he co-authored that discusses the link between insulin and illnesses that are reaching epidemic proportions in the United States, such as diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer's. Kash is also the co-author of Restart (White River Press, 2009), a book that offers survival strategies for today's uncertain economy.

On March 14, Binghamton University hosted the finals of the America East men's basketball tournament. Before the Bearcats defeated UMBC 61-51, the Alumni Association hosted a brunch at Ruby Tuesday in Johnson City's Oakdale Mall. About 400 people attended the spirit session before heading to the Events Center on campus to watch the game. See more pictures from this event at the Alumni Associaton's photo sharing site.

Also, on March 14, the Alumni Association sponsored game-watch parties in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Boston, and Washington (pictured). Post your game-watch party pictures on the Alumni Association Facebook page.

On March 19, the Alumni Association sponsored 17 NCAA game-watch parties. In total, hundreds of alumni showed up to watch the telecast of Binghamton vs. Duke in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The game-watch parties took place in Binghamton, New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Albuquerque, N.M., Richmond, Va. and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. We also hosted a pre-game event in Greensboro, N.C., where Binghamton played against Duke.

The Alumni Association partnered with the Career Development Center on the Mocktail program, which took place in the University Union on March 20. Wren Fritsky (pictured), a career counselor in the CDC, advised students on how they should conduct themselves at networking functions and business mixers.

The Charles Drew Minority Pre-Health Society held a 30th anniversary celebration weekend in Binghamton March 20-22. The weekend included sessions for current students, covering topics such as preparing for the MCAT, navigating the med school admission process, and performing well at interviews. On Saturday night, the group held a banquet at the Binghamton Regency Hotel. See photos from this event at the Alumni Association's photo sharing site.